The Blackbird Season

When hundreds of starlings inexplicably fall from the sky during a high school baseball game coached by Nate Winters, things start to go wrong for the popular Mt. Oanoke, Pa., math teacher, in this intricately plotted thriller from bestseller Moretti (The Vanishing). Nate’s marriage to Alecia, already strained by the need to care for the couple’s autistic son, is further tested when a reporter for the local paper accuses him of taking advantage of a student, Lucia Hamm, during the chaos caused by the falling birds. Nate denies acting inappropriately, but the school principal puts Nate on temporary suspension until the police complete their investigation. Nate later makes a series of bad decisions that make him look guilty, such as misleading Alecia about time he spent with Lucia, purportedly to spare his wife’s feelings. His position deteriorates further after Lucia goes missing. Fortunately, a fellow teacher and friend, Bridget Peterson, may hold the key to proving Nate’s innocence. This cautionary tale keeps the reader guessing to the end. Agent: Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media. (Sept.)